Travel

Amid rising nationalistic sentiment in the wake of Operation Sindoor, Indian travelers are increasingly canceling plans to visit Turkey and Azerbaijan. Online travel platform MakeMyTrip has reported a staggering 60% drop in bookings and a 250% spike in cancellations to both countries over the past week. The downturn follows widespread calls on social media for a travel boycott, citing the two nations' perceived support for Pakistan.

Airbnb is intensifying its focus on India, leveraging the country's massive population of millennials and Gen Z to fuel growth. According to Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Blecharczyk, India represents a pivotal market for the global accommodation platform, particularly as younger generations seek unique travel experiences. Airbnb's strategic rollout of features such as Airbnb Experiences and its revamped mobile app is tailored to these demographics.

Thomas Cook India Ltd has posted a 13.5% year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2025, buoyed by a resurgence in travel demand and robust performance across its core service offerings. The company reported a profit of Rs. 66 crore, up from Rs. 58.17 crore in the same quarter last year. Revenue from operations climbed to Rs. 2,022 crore, reflecting significant recovery momentum. Meanwhile, the board reaffirmed confidence in its leadership, extending Mahesh Iyer’s term as Managing Director and CEO.

In a troubling development, international students—particularly from India—are facing an aggressive uptick in U.S. visa revocations and terminations of legal status, casting a shadow over one of the largest educational migration corridors in the world. Data compiled by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) reveals that 50% of the 327 reported cases of student visa disruptions involve Indian nationals.